The snooker community has witnessed a remarkable U-turn by seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, who has reversed his criticism of Luca Brecel. That’s after Hendry appeared to question the player’s career decisions and casual demeanour around the table.
Scotland’s snooker great was known for his own rigorous dedication to practice during his prime. And it was only recently Hendry remarked upon Brecel’s contrasting, laid-back lifestyle.
“I honestly don’t know what he’s doing with his career,” he said ahead of this year’s Crucible. “I haven’t got a clue. I see him a lot on Instagram, he’s riding his bike all over the place, he’s going out to dinners with his girlfriend, he seems to be having a lovely time.”
The BBC analyst previously expressed doubts about Brecel’s dedication, particularly when it came to commuting from Majorca for matches. However, after witnessing Brecel’s formidable performance against Judd Trump in Sheffield, Hendry’s opinion seems to have significantly shifted.
Chatting with presenter Seema Jaswal during the quarter-final clash on Tuesday, Hendry was impressed and suggested Brecel looked like he was “back to the Brecel that won the world title two years ago.” And he didn’t hold back in praising the “absolute genius,” even hinting Brecel could soon double his tally of World Snooker Championship titles.
“Approaching the game in a way that no other player has, and still winning,” said the snooker icon, per the Daily Express. “I mean, if someone had told you back in the day that there’s going to be a player that comes on the scene later on and is going to approach it the way he does – and he’s still going to win the Worlds by the way – you’d have said no chance.”
Brecel’s path to the quarters included a first-round comeback against Ryan Day and a dominant 13-4 victory over former world No 1 Ding Junhui. And it seems Hendry has been won over by the 30-year-old’s style, describing him as “fabulous to watch.”
Despite past reservations about Brecel’s approach, Hendry was full of praise, adding: “He’s just an inspirational player, and when he gets that inspiration, when he gets that buzz from snooker, you can’t stop watching him. He’s just brilliant.”
Brecel is currently trailing World Championship favourite Trump 5-3 as their match resumes on Wednesday. Trump himself has spoken out in support of Brecel’s approach ahead of their matchup, hinting that more practice would actually hinder the player.
“When I was 21-22 and came here I thought exactly the same as him, I didn’t care, just go out and play snooker,” said the 2019 world champ. “I’ve seen a lot of comments saying that if he dedicated himself more he’d be unbelievable, but he wouldn’t because of how carefree he is.
“If you start practicing it means a lot more because it hurts more and I think he’s just got that balance where he can enjoy snooker. I don’t think he could cope with doing six or seven hours a day and taking the losses. That’s the difference between [me and] him. He’s very happy with his life, I don’t think anyone can judge someone that’s happy off the table, I think that’s the most important thing.”
During Brecel’s triumph over Ding, snooker legend Steve Davis couldn’t help but heap accolades on his colleague. Marvelling at Brecel’s audacity in the eighth frame, ‘The Nugget’ described one particular break as “the most amazing exhibition of snooker I think I’ve ever seen at the Crucible.”
Despite Hendry not being part of the Brecel Fan Club initially, it seems Brecel’s scintillating form in Sheffield has won over another admirer. And many will be cheering the European on as he aims to prove any remaining doubters wrong.
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